Hookah - a special tool for smoking, whose homeland is the Middle East. About how to smoke a hookah in accordance with all the rules, we will tell in our article.
The first stage of an exciting process
So, you bought a hookah and want to enjoy leisurely smoking of fragrant tobacco at home. In principle, there are a lot of varieties of "hukki" - as they call it hookah. There are both large and small appliances, there are giant ones that several people can smoke at once. You can cook a hookah in plain water, or you can add wine to it (just add, but not use it in its pure form), cognac or other alcohol. There is also a great variety of fragrant tobaccos for hookah - from the classic apple, peach or cherry to exotic, like a banana flavor. No less popular is the "fruit aroma blend" tobacco. Coal for hookah is also different, but the best is coconut or lemon wood. If this could not be found, buy one that is designed for quick ignition of barbecues and bonfires. So, now about how to light a hookah.
“Preheat” coals
In order for the tobacco not to burn and the taste of the hookah to be not too strong (such that the smoke is simply impossible to inhale), you need to properly prepare the coals. To do this, it is best to take small pieces, so that 2-3 pieces are placed on the bowl (on the foil itself) for tobacco. The easiest way
to ignite coal for a hookah is as follows: put the required number of pieces on the burner of the stove, turn on the gas at medium power and wait 8-10 minutes. During this time, the coals will turn a little white. This means that they are ready to use. With special tongs, which are usually included, the hot pieces must be put on the perforated foil. By the way, there is a special silver paper for hookahs, already with small holes on it, in addition, it is thicker. But you can take ordinary (or chocolate foil) and poke small holes in it with a knife or fork. There shouldn’t be a lot of them: 15-20 small holes are usually enough for a silver coating of a medium-sized tobacco bowl.
How to light a hookah
So, you can start. At first there will be a little smoke: the tobacco is still a little moist and still burns poorly, but after a couple of minutes it will dry out and the process will go on properly. By the way, if you feel that you can’t inhale the smoke, because it has become too tart and bitter, remove a couple of coals, this will help. And if, on the contrary, there is little smoke - put some more coal. Over time, you will find the right combination and will know better than any experts and the process of how to smoke a hookah, and how to determine the right amount of tobacco and coal by eye. But beginners make some typical mistakes, so smoking a hookah for them turns into real flour - the smoke just does not go. Next we will talk about how to avoid this.
Why the hookah does not smoke: possible errors
If you did everything right, then in a couple of minutes you can fully enjoy the aroma of hookah tobacco. But it also happens that the device, as they say, does not work - smoke does not come from the mouthpiece. Why? There are several reasons for this:
1. Check if rubber gaskets pass between the water bowl and the hookah tripod itself. To do this, you may have to assemble and disassemble the smoking device again, carefully fixing all possible “leaks”.
2. You poured too much water into the bowl - in this case, it is possible to smoke a hookah, but there will not be as much smoke as with a properly filled vessel (usually liquids are poured by one-third, a maximum of half).
3. You have not sufficiently heated the coal - if the pieces have not reached the desired temperature, how should the tobacco burn? .. This is one of the main mistakes of beginners who are still learning the art of how to light a hookah according to all the rules.
4. And the last: you could notice that the tobacco itself in the package is in a slightly damp state, when putting it into the bowl you need to slightly squeeze it out with your hands. Otherwise it will be extremely difficult to light.
Thus, even if you theoretically know how to smoke a hookah, but are new to this business, the above list will help to avoid common mistakes, as a result of which you can easily and quickly organize the process.
The rules of smoking a hookah in the East: what is possible and what is not
To begin with, the tradition of smoking a hookah is quite ancient, and in the countries of the Middle East this pastime is extremely popular. But there are several nuances and rules that a tourist needs to know, because a violation of a kind of “hookah” etiquette can be considered as disrespect for the person sitting next to you. So:
- It is strictly forbidden to light a cigarette from the hookah coals.
- Passing the mouthpiece to another smoker, don’t be surprised if he smacks your hand slightly - this is just a way of expressing gratitude. Do the same.
- In all institutions that serve hookah, they offer disposable mouthpieces with it in order to maintain hygiene. It is customary to use them, and it is very indecent to transfer a hookah to another person without having to remove your disposable mouthpiece from it.
And, of course, if you ordered one hookah (as is customary in the East) for several people, do not smoke it alone for more than 4-5 minutes. After all, others are also waiting in line, and they love to inhale fragrant smoke no less than you. In our article, we told how to rekindle a hookah according to all the rules. Now you yourself can invite your friends home and have a sort of oriental-style party.